Recording studio with a difference

The concept of a recording studio which caters for musicians with a limited budget who require professional recording was born out of reality that quality affordable recording is not accessible to most musicians, ensembles and orchestra’s.

Most engineers do not have a classically trained ear and background to deal with the intricacies of recording classical groups and ensembles. Henk Steenkamp, our sound engineer, has been a professional musician for the past 16 years. He plays an impressive range of instruments himself including trumpet, tuba, euphonium, french horn, bass guitar, drum kit and saxophone. He also boasts extensive practical experience in live sound-reinforcement for orchestra’s, bands, choirs and ensembles. These groups performed at various venues, including the V&A Waterfront, Wine Farms, Belville Civic Theatre, Helderberg Nature Reserve, Baxter Theatre and the Cape Town City Hall.

Being classically trained, Henk can also arrange music for smaller bands, ensembles and full military bands. This enables him to read from the musical score while recording, mixing and mastering the final product. Many of his arrangements have been performed nationally by the SA Army Bands at high level performances such as the opening of Parliament, the opening of the Klein Karoo Kunste Fees in 2005 and the opening ceremony of the Tygerberg International Fanfare 2004.

The team – headed up by Henk Steenkamp

Hannelore Olivier

Improvisational artist, composer, sound engineer – Hannelore performs regularly, among others, with the improv drama group TheatreSports . She has pulled off a vast number of unique, bohemian and sometimes rather daring musical collaborations with film producers, fine artists, theatre groups and cabaret performers – in the capacity of composer, songwriter, improviser, musical director and accompanist.

Hannelore obtained degrees in Classical music and Psychology, and her Masters in Music Technology from the University of Stellenbosch (Cum Laude). Her publication Musical Networks: The Case for a Neural Network Methodology in Advertisement Music (2005) proved to be the first time the subject of SA advertisement music based on a Artificial Neural Network-paradigm had been studied in this country.

She worked as a sound engineer for two years before living and traveling in Korea, Taiwan and South-East Asia for three years. She has completed various collaborations on film-scoring ventures, commercials and corporate videos, musical stage productions, KKNK productions (2000 -2008); art projects (music for graphic novels & installations), as well as a few WWW-based music technology projects. At the moment she lectures at City Varsity’s sound engineering department, and does ad hoc film music projects.

Kyle Ramsden – winner of a SAFA in 2010!

Sound Engineer, Kyle Ramsden has completed his sound engineer diploma in 2009. Studying under some of the best engineers in South Africa. He has an in depth study of all software and hardware associated with sound as well as the technical knowledge of audio as a science and the law regarding copyriting and the usage thereof. He thrives off anything sound related… most of all sound design, post production, compositions and band recordings.

He joined the team Music@work in 2008, working Free-lance along side with Henk Steenkamp and Laurika Steenkamp. Picking up interesting experience in live sound with the Cape Town army band as well as studio work. Kyle has started working on a permanent basis for an Advertising company, Radio Retail (PTY) Ltd where he is currently their sound engineer for instore and Radio broadcasts.

Neal van Biljon

Neal has been exposed to music and sound since his school days. Being classically trained since primary school (Piano, Cello, Percussion, Bass Guitar). He initially became a classical performing musician, performing in Namibia, South Africa, Germany, France, Austria etc. After a scholarship from the French to study in Reunion and a distinction for the Associate Diploma in Percussion from Trinity College of London, he started teaching.

While this was all going on he was being a DJ (aspiring) with a sound system, back when you still had school discos. He also started doing recordings for concerts for some cash to support the DJ in him. After his 1st stint in professional audio, an on set sound assistant, a couple of audio certificates and diplomas later, he moved into the realm of Audio Engineering.

He’s been in professional audio for almost 10 years starting in theater and moving on to pro sound. After a couple of Oppikoppi’s and various other loud festivals, he finally found himself in a Dolby Movie Studio and it rocked.

Since then he’s worked as an Audio Post Engineer on long and short form for Cinema and TV, doing everything and in-between from boom, ADR, Sound Design to Final Mix and Mastering.

Neal Loves going for long walks on the beach and reading romance novels… LOL

He reckons everything can be solved with some good Sci-Fi and/or a video game.

As far as Drum and Bass goes well…You get Drum and Bass. Everything else is just music.

The studio

The studio has a control room, main room, drum kit booth and
vocal booth. The equipment includes: